I had a very interesting conversation yesterday. It revolved around this new refined beach called ‘’Indigo’’, it’s supposedly the most talked about spot since durrat al arous or whatever.
As I begged my cousin to take me with her to this ‘’fancy’’ beach; you know you have to be cool enough to know someone on the inside to get in. It’s as if it’s some rich people’s secret club with underground dungeons of gold and treasures w kitha…
So anyway, I told her I wouldn’t get in her way or anything, I’ll go in and out as peacefully as I could ever be, just leave me by the shore and I’m okay.
She then told me about the oh-so-posh society and how they’re all not from around here, so they’re all in bikinis and stuff and I’d be the odd girl out with my hijab.
How come people who are right are being discouraged?
And that got me thinking, how is it that we are becoming the outsiders in our own town? How are we the ones who look bizarre when we are merely doing nothing but having the right to do what we want to do, and how we represent our religion.
I remember a saying I read on tumbler that said:
‘’If a woman is free to show her body, why should she not be free to cover it?’’
And if a woman is living in an Islamic country then why should she ever have to feel like she’s embarrassed to do the right thing?
Are we really becoming that fragile?
I know my cousin only told me about the whole ‘’no one swims with hijab’’ issue just so I understand how open it is… But in all honesty I don’t care, this is my home. Jeddah is my home, if I wasn’t secure about doing everything with my hijab, then where else would I be comfortable with it? It’s not about where you are, it’s about where it takes place in your heart.
If hijab, and religion is in your heart… Then nothing, no one, and no place would ever shake or brake you.
-Zain Lloyd
Indigo
